ORANGE — Another sign the city of Orange is bouncing back from two major hurricanes was the grand opening and ribbon cutting Tuesday afternoon of Orange Navy II, a 36-unit multifamily housing property.
Orange mayor Brown Claybar spoke first at the event.
“It’s another great day in Orange. It seems not that long ago we were here dedicating the first one,” Claybar said. These homes will make a difference in people’s lives with safe neighborhoods for people to live in. We have a lot more work to do on the horizon. We’ve made lemonade out of lemons.”
He added this is the second part of revitalizing Orange Navy. Another positive is properties that have fallen into disrepair in the neighborhood can be reinvested into to stay on the city’s tax rolls.
For the families living at Orange Navy II, Claybar the complex offers them good, safe, affordable housing for lease that can make a difference in people’s lives. Moreover, Orange Navy II is a 25-unit multifamily and single-family rental housing reconstruction project funded with $3,450,000 from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs’ Community Development Block Grant Hurricane Ike Disaster Recovery program.
Orange Navy II is one of 13 affordable multifamily rental properties damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Ike that is being repaired or rebuilt through funding provided by the Texas Department of
Housing and Community Affairs CDBG Disaster Recovery program.
Michael White with TDHCA called the grand opening a historic event and an opportunity to revitalize an entire neighborhood.
“This will have an enormous impact on the area,” he said.
In addition to TDHCA funding, White believes other funds from people living and working here will be pumped into the local economy.
White concluded by recalling how Navy Park originally came to be in World War II with naval officers and ship workers living and working here to save the world and make it a better place.
TDHCA is administering $58 million the state received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for multifamily housing recovery efforts related to Hurricane Ike.
Ike Akbari of ITEX Property Management thanked everyone who made Orange Navy II a reality. He also presented on fortunate resident with a Thanksgiving turkey and 150 other residents with holiday
gift cards from HEB.
